Marketing Campaign of the Day

A fully funded $14,800 Kickstarter has resulted in an extensive D.C. ad campaign defending Pfc. Bradley Manning, who is charged with "aiding the enemy" for leaking the largest dump of classified information in U.S. history to WikiLeaks. If convicted, Manning faces life in prison, an outcome the series of subway ads -- which hail him as a whistleblower -- seeks to avoid.

The ads, by nonprofit ad firm EpicStep and the Bradley Manning Support Network, are directed at government workers in the capital:

The military has done its best to limit public exposure to Bradley Manning's case by holding the trial at Ft. Meade, a relatively difficult location for the public to attend, and they have not released transcripts of the pretrial hearing, thereby limiting media exposure and making it difficult for laymen to follow the proceedings. Let's bring the case back to Washington! ... These ads will force government workers to remember WikiLeaks and Bradley Manning, remind them that the public is behind Bradley, and explain that what Bradley is accused of doing is a public good.

Bradley's next hearing is June 6.

[shortformblog]